An implantable particle measuring apparatus which can be used for diagnostic purposes for individuals who are susceptible to specific cancers; the device can also be used as a health monitoring system for routine analysis of specific cellular factors in bodily fluid.
Flow cytometers are well known to the art. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,485 discloses a miniature flow cytometer adapted to measure laser-induced fluorescence.
The flow cyomteter of U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,485 is not implantable, it is not capable of utilizing and analyzing the living organism""s unmodified fluids, and it is not capable of communicating with other devices inside or outside of an organism.
It is an object of this invention to provide an implantable particle analzyer which is capable of analyzing endogenous body fluid, and which contains telemetric means for communicating with controllers and/or programmers external to the body.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided an implantable particle size analyzer which comprises a flexible tube comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, a multiplicity of monolithic laser photodetectors disposed on the inside surface of the tube, a means of optically connecting said photodetectors to each other, a monolithic integrated circuit chip for the integration and control of received signals, and means for operatively connecting said chip to said photodetectors.